The M Word

Description

A conker's tough and shiny and it can withstand a whole load of hard knocks. That's Maggie Yates all over. And the latest in a long line is her mum losing her job. They didn't have a lot to begin with and now Mum's taken to not opening the curtains and crying in secret. But Maggie has a plan to cheer her up - find her a fella. And if he's got a bit of cash to splash on treating them, all the better. Best friend Moya's there every step of the way. You're surfing a rainbow if you think someone like that exists round here, she smiles. But I'll help. But at the back of her mind Maggie knows that Mum's crying is more than sadness. That there are no easy fixes. And that, though she talks to her every day, Moya died six months ago. How many hits before a conker splits in two?

Brian Conaghan was born and raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge but now lives in Dublin. He has a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. For many years Brian worked as a teacher and taught in Scotland, Italy and Ireland. His first YA novel for Bloomsbury, When Mr Dog Bites, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2015 and his second, The Bombs That Brought Us Together, won the Costa Children's Book Award in 2016. We Come Apart, a verse novel co-authored with Carnegie Medal winner Sarah Crossan, won the UKLA Book Award. His latest novel, The Weight of a Thousand Feathers, has been shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.

The relationship between Maggie and her mother is the strength of the novel ... Strong stuff, but expertly handled by Conaghan * Irish Examiner * Conaghan has written yet another sensitive, gripping account of a teen suffering with the unfair pressures that life throws at her. * CBI Reading Guide 2019-20 * Shot through with humour and ultimately hope, it's a rewarding read. * Irish Independent * Conaghan has written yet another sensitive, gripping account of a teen struggling with the unfair pressures that life throws at her. Caution may be required for readers affected by the issues depicted, but no one will read it without their heart feeling full * CBI Mind Yourself 2020 Reading Guide *